It is true that many driving distractions are visual. A driver should always be looking at the road ahead of them or at their mirrors. If they are looking at anything else, such as a map, a GPS screen or their cellphone, then they are visually distracted from the road.
That said, it is important to remember that not all driving distractions are visual. It is possible for someone to have their eyes on the road and still be distracted enough that they could cause an accident. Let’s look at two examples of how this could happen.
Manual distractions
First of all, some distractions are physical or manual in nature. A good example of this is when the driver is trying to eat behind the wheel. They may continue looking at the road, but picking up a cup of coffee or a hamburger means that they can only hold the wheel with one hand. Some people will even try to drive with their knees, steering the car with their legs so that they can eat with their hands. All of this can lead to a severe accident.
Cognitive distractions
Next, there are certain cognitive or mental distractions that can happen even when it looks like someone is still paying attention. One example is as simple as daydreaming. Someone may become lost in thought or just zone out behind the wheel. There are even some cases where people arrive at their destination with no memory of the drive, and they realize they were not paying attention the entire time.
Have you been injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver? If so, you may deserve substantial compensation.
